the piggyback

✧

uehas to bite back her fears. She can feel herself tremble, her spine shuddering with every sharp intake of breath she makes. The warmth and lightness that had once pervaded the air have vanished. Rue attempts to reassure herself that there is nothing to be frightened about.

She's not the one going into the alternate dimension, and she's not the one facing the monster that's been terrorizing the town all week. Although she still believes that she'll take her chances with Vecna face to face rather than losing herself in mental space, at least here, in the physical world, everything is real.

A petty, resentful part of her wants to refuse to even offer her help. There's still that agony in her chest from the injustice done to her, the deception, the hurt, the hypocrisy that pervades everyone inside the mobile home.

She tries to push those thoughts away. For Max, she tells herself. She's simply doing it for Max's sake, to keep her safe and keep her alive. For Max. After that, Rue can be as bitter as she wants, start as many arguments as she wants, and accuse everyone of treating her like shit. After that, she can scream all she wants, cry all she wants, and give everyone a piece of her mind after crossing her.

Rue's shoes smack against the pavement as she steps to the end of the Maguire family's driveway and stares at the house before her. It was a one-story house in the same old neighbourhood as Dustin Henderson's house. It has a nice front porch and bright flower beds that add to the entire image of the home. It practically screams perfection, and then there is Rue and Ricky standing in front of it sticking out like sore thumbs with muddy skin and torn clothes, like a wine stain on the white carpet.

"Your parents don't mind this, right?" Rue asks, turning her head to look up at the boy. She squints, and the golden setting sun shines in her eyes, and the hue of orange paints the entire street.

Ricky huffs, setting down two sacks of salt before his feet as Eddie climbs out of the van after him with two more. He makes a strangled noise of hesitation before shrugging, "Nah, mom won't mind. Besides, she said she's missed me ever since I moved out..."

"Right," Eddie snorts from behind him. He's wearing a bandana over his hair and an entirely new set of war clothes. Dustin's idea, he argued, to mentally prepare for battle, he said. Everyone knew he and Dustin dressed to feel cooler as they battled bloodthirsty bats with makeshift weapons.

"I doubt this is what Lauren meant when she said you're free to visit anytime."

Ricky throws his hands in the air exasperatedly, "We don't have much of a choice, do we? She's the one with the hot tub."

Dustin and Lucas climb out of the van next, and one of them holds a notepad in their hands, checking over a list before handing it to Ricky.

"Remember, not too much salt, not too little," Dustin tells him. "It has to be enough for her to float in. Test it with an egg first. If it sinks, add more salt. And the temperature has to be perfect, too, alright? Exactly-"

"Yeah, yeah," Ricky waves him off, snatching the notepad from his hands. "I know. You've gone over this a billion times already."

"We can't risk a chance of failure!" Dustin argues while Ricky rolls his eyes.

"Good luck," Lucas whispers as he tugs Rue closer to him for a hug. He wraps his arms around her, squeezing her tight, and Rue returns the hug with the same warmth, her arms over his shoulders and her face in his chest. They rock back and forth and side to side. "Stay safe."

"Right back at you."

"Don't die."

"Please," Rue scoffs playfully, pulling away, "that won't be something you'll need to worry about. If I were to die, it would have been a long time ago."

Lucas rolls his eyes. He tries to smile, to laugh at her passive-aggressive joke, but it never comes to his eyes as his nerves take over him. His hands are shaking, and Rue reaches for them.

"I promise." She tells him. "And I haven't broken any promises yet, have I?"

"It would be Newby fashion to do so at the last second."

Rue scoffs, pinching his arm, "Low blow, man. I'm writing you out of my will for that one."

Dustin practically jumps into Rue's arms after pushing Lucas out of the way. Rue stumbles, a strangled shriek slipping past her lips as he tackles her to the ground. The two land with a loud thud, rolling around in the grass as it pricks at their skin, practically wrestling as Rue curses out profanities at the boy.

"Motherfucker!"

Dustin snorts, moving off the girl before tossing something at her. It lands on her face, covering her eyes for a moment before she picks it up and sits on the grass. Rue stares at the cap, where the neon words "THINKING CAP" and lightning bolts stare back at her.

"For good luck," Dustin tells her as she stands, and he reaches for her hand to pull her up to her feet. "Plus I have like a million of them."

Lucas rolls his eyes, muttering about how sappy Dustin was from behind him. Dustin hears him and scoffs, "you're just mad you didn't think of it first."

Rue smiles, putting on the cap which shields her eyes from the sun. "Thank you." She pokes her finger at his chest, staring at him sternly. "You better not do anything stupid while I'm gone."

Dustin's face twists up in offence, "Stupid? Me? I'm literally one of the few people here who actually use their brain for common sense," there's a glint in his eyes that proves he hasn't taken her tease to heart.

He and Lucas return into the vehicle while Ricky and Eddie finish their short goodbyes. They're hugging each other tightly, swaying side to side, "God, this is the worst idea I've had in my whole life," Eddie grumbles as they pull away. "Worse than when we decided to cover up principal Higgin's office in Christmas wrapping paper. We got suspended for two weeks."

Ricky nods, his eyes wide with amusement, "Best two weeks of my life," He says, and then his face falls, and his hand on his best friend's shoulder, "You still have a chance to switch jobs with me. Just say the word."

Eddie shakes his head and straightens his back, "No, man," he sighs, "I gotta do this. Especially 'cause of that kid. I wanna be there for him," he pauses for a beat, a bitter laugh puffing from his cheeks, "Henderson's gonna be the death of me," Another pause, and he hesitates before whispering, "Also, I don't think Ruby likes me very much."

With that, he was gone, trudging back into the steps of the mobile home. The sun is brighter now, and the engine of the vehicle purrs to life, about to drive off.

When Rue sees no one else coming out to say their goodbyes, she swallows her disappointment and tries to ignore it. It wasn't like they were saying goodbye forever; they were supposed to reunite later once everything was over. They aren't entitled to say goodbye. Not Robin, Nancy, Steve, or even Max.

She'll see them later.

Rue bends down to help Ricky carry the sacks of salt up the driveway, and she's counting her steps, looking down as Dustin's hat starts to slide off her head, almost blocking her eyes. She stares at her shoes, at the mud coating them and the red sharpie drawings on the fabric she made during a math class that was rubbing off.

Ricky is saying something about how he hopes no one is home, especially not his dad, because he still wasn't sure how to explain anything to them. Rue is barely listening to him, her mind drifting away as she looks up to admire the flower beds by the porch.

She only makes it halfway up the driveway before she hears someone shout her name. Confused, Rue turns around, and she barely has a chance to register anything before two hands have cupped her cheeks and pulled her lower.

The touch is cold, making her shiver, yet warmth has started to spread from her chest to her toes like wildfire. Against her mouth are another pair of lips, so familiar, and she doesn't see the snarky grin Max has on her freckled face, but she can feel it against her lips.

She smells like strawberries and peaches, yet also the sun and sea salt, feels warm and intimate, and her fingers dig into Rue's hair, holding on for dear life as Max kisses her hard.

It's all teeth, clumsy and short, and it makes Rue dizzy as Dustin's hat is knocked off her head, falling by their feet. Rue almost drops the sacks in her arms, her hands itching to hold onto the girl before her, but it all ends far too quickly because now that warmth is gone and replaced with the chill spring air again, and she hears Max take three uncoordinated steps back.

When she pulled away, Rue drunkenly blinked at her, her dazed expression suddenly twisting into a scowl because she never got to kiss her back.

Max is beaming, far too happy to see Rue frowning at her, "I'll you in a bit, yeah?" She says as she runs back down the driveway, she waves once more while climbing the steps into the mobile home. "Later!"

Later.

She says it so casually.

It makes Rue want to weep while her lips burn where Max had kissed her. She stands there, watching the vehicle drive off, picking up dead leaves as it rushes away. She stands there, a little bit dumbfounded while her mind slowly starts to process what has happened in a matter of seconds. She stands there, wishing it could have lasted longer, wishing she could have let the sacks in her arms fall to the ground and seize to hold onto skin again, to kiss her back just as hard, with just as much devotion.

She curses under her breath, blinking slowly because now she's staring at an empty driveway and an empty street and her skin buzzes where Max's touch continues to linger.

And now her heart is at her throat because Max didn't only kiss her, but she did it in front of Ricky, in front of everyone, in broad daylight, as if she was proud of it. As if she wants to shout at the world one last time: yeah, I kiss girls, so what?

The only thing that has Rue's mind returning to earth is the sound of Ricky snorting behind her. His keys jingling in his hands while he laughs, "I wish I took a picture of your stupid face. It was hilarious. I would've given it to Max for her birthday."

His voice fades as he opens the door to his old home and enters, but his laughter is insufferable, and he continues to taunt her as if it were the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Rue takes up Dustin's hat from the floor, puts it on, and spins around to face Ricky so fast that she becomes dizzy. She stumbles as she rushes up the steps and into the house, where they are greeted by the aroma of a home-cooked supper and the melody of music from the kitchen.

"Mom?" Ricky calls into the house, and the music stops abruptly. "Mom, it's me!" He shouts again, and the sound of rushed footsteps fills the air before someone appears from the hallway.

A young woman stands under an archway, and Rue tilts her head at the sight of her. Flawless, golden brown skin, long dark hair and eyes, and she wore a stunning orange spring dress with a white apron that says: "Kiss the Chef," in seductive red letters. Her eyes are wide at the sight before her, and glistening tears quickly form.

"Richie?" She says, her voice barely above a whisper as she stares at the guy as if he were a ghost.

That can't be his mom, right?

Ricky, frozen in his steps, drops the sacks in his arms, and his eyes widen at the sight of the woman. Rue notices the comfort and surprise on his face as if he can't believe what's in front of him. He doesn't say anything, his words becoming trapped in his mouth and choking.

Love and adoration thrum out of the two in overwhelming waves, an emotion so strong that blood starts to roll from Rue's nose as the tears roll down the girl's cheeks. She's rushing towards him, tripping over the rug in the living room, her perfect, black hair flowing over her shoulders.

He holds his arms out, ready to grasp her once she's close enough, to hold her close and never let go. But then she stops, suddenly, and her face twists into something unreadable. Whatever Ricky has been expecting, none of it can prepare him for when she raises her hand and slaps him across the face.

Rue chokes, and something resembling a snort and a gasp sputtered from her mouth. The sacks in her arms thud to the floor, echoing across the room along with the sharp smack. Her hands rise to her lips, and her jaw drops. Rue looks at Ricky, who is holding his cheek in disbelief and bewilderment.

The girl shakes her head, and her lip trembles as she wipes away the tears from her cheeks. She stares at Ricky in something that's a mixture of hurt and anguish as if he was the root cause of her pain. "Where have you been, Richard?"

Rue can't help but cringe at the sound of his full name, as well as the sadness and wrath in her voice. She sounds betrayed as if she's been grieving for someone who has abandoned her forever.

Ricky blinks at her, bewildered, "What? What are you talking about?"

"The news!" The girl wails, and she thrashes her arms toward the box television in the corner of the room. Her nails have been bitten raw, and the golden rings on her fingers glimmer with the rays of the setting sun shining through the windows. "They said—you—Eddie!" She chokes, "You disappeared!"

Rue's gaze is drawn to the documents on the coffee table, stacks of images of Ricky from his childhood to the present, all of them scattered next to a handful of freshly printed missing posters bearing his name and description.

Ricky's face softens, and he tries to step closer to the girl, but she stops him, holding her hand out to keep a distance between them. His face screws up with hurt.

"I came back!" She shouts, "I came home to surprise you! But when I got to your house, you weren't there! Then, I hear that two people were murdered. I tried looking for you and Eddie! I came here to see your mom, you- Lauren," She huffs, "she's been coming back and forth from the police office like five times a day! She's calling our place thinking you'll pick up one day, but, hey? Guess what? You don't.

"Then, more people go missing, more people are dead and then they start blaming it on Eddie?" She brings her hands to her face, scoffing in disbelief, "Like, what the fuck have you two gotten yourselves into? I've been gone for three months! The cops came here two days ago telling us they're marking you as missing. Missing, Richie! You were missing! I thought- I thought it was gonna be Denice all over again! I thought you were dead!"

Ricky runs to her side as she collapses altogether and sobs. He clutches her tightly, pressing her head against his chest, and she grabs his shirt, balling it into her hands. "I'm sorry, Dan." He whispers, pressing his lips onto the top of her head. There are tears in his own eyes, "I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm right here, baby. I'm right here. Thank you for coming, I've missed you."

Rue squints at Ricky, watching as he cups the girl's cheek tenderly, a softness in him she's never seen.

The girl looks up at Ricky, teary-eyed, her anger and despair slowly fading away. He whispers something Rue can't hear, but the girl is now laughing softly in his arms, a spark in her eyes as she stares at him.

Rue felt as if she were in the middle of an inside joke she didn't comprehend. When Ricky and the girl start kissing hard, hot, and frantically, she blinks in surprise. It was all teeth, nips, and licks, desperate and intimate as if it were the first and only time this had ever happened.

Oh. Oh.

That's not his mother.

That's Dani Patel. His girlfriend.

Rue feels extremely stupid and wonders if the lack of sleep was the reason for her poor judgement. She can't tell if her stomach is twisting up in embarrassment, disgust or the fear that she won't be able to pry Ricky out of his girlfriend's arms so he'd help her set up the bath so she can save Max.

Rue's patience was wearing thin as the kiss became increasingly feverish with roving hands, and she felt as if she had been forgotten about, standing there with four sacks of salt at her feet.

On top of that, she's using the sleeve of Jonathan's flannel to stop the blood from her nose because Ricky and Dani loved each other so much that Rue was getting a taste of it. And that sweet love was soon turning into desire, and Rue knew she didn't want to be there for any of it.

"Dick," She coughs out, her voice blubbery as blood seeps between her lips. When he doesn't hear her, she tries to call him a little bit louder. "Dick! Ricky! Hello?"

He still can't hear her, but at least Dani does. She pulls away from her boyfriend, who instantly buries his face into her neck. Dani glances at Rue, her thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion as if she only then realizes Ricky didn't walk into the house alone. She places her hands on his shoulders, slowly pulling him back, "Richie?"

"Hmm?" He mumbles, only half-listening while peppering gentle kisses against the side of Dani's face, eyes lidded and dazed. She stops him, covering his mouth with the palm of her hand, the same hand that had slapped him across the face moments before.

"Why is there a teenage girl with you?"

Flustered, Rue waves shyly, feeling like an idiot. Her lips twist to an awkward smile, "Hi."

"That's Ruby," Ricky says casually, brushing it off entirely before he does a double take and his eyes widen in alarm. "Ruby!" And he scrambles from the ground, bringing Dani up with him. "Oh, my God! Ruby! The—the—the bath, right! Right! I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, you know, it's fine," Rue shrugs sarcastically, picking up the two sacks of salt she'd dropped earlier and fixing Dustin's cap that sits backwards on her head. "You can totally fuck your girlfriend on the ground if you need to. Don't mind me. I am super pro-sex. I mean, watching you get laid wasn't on my bingo card this year. But then again, being terrorized by a psychopath with physic abilities wasn't on the card either. It was in last year's card."

"Okay, I get it. You can cut out the dramatics." Ricky puffs out, his cheeks bright red as he picks up the other two salt sacks. He rolls his eyes when she sticks her tongue out at him childishly, and he flicks the hat off her head.